$56,350

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Tantura is a beautiful fishing village located on the shore of the Mediterranean sea, in the North of what was Palestine until 1948, and is now Israel.

What is the film about?

Stranded in tents and detention centers in Greece and Turkey, or temporary housing throughout Europe are thousands of Palestinian refugees from Syria whose predicament started 70 years earlier with the expulsion of their parents and grandparents from Palestine.

Hala Gabriel, the film's director, herself a Palestinian refugee from Syria, embarks on a journey of exploration to meet relatives and former residents of her family's hometown Tantura, Palestine to discover why she, like them, is a refugee.

She learns about the battle to take the village, the internment camps where her father (aged 15 at the time) and others found themselves for months, and the journey of being without a homeland which has transcended multiple generations to this day. At a time when refugees throughout Europe and United States are being vilified and denied entry, this film shows that all they want is to return home or find a place they can call home.

What makes this film special is that it is based on eye-witness testimony; not only that of a number of Tantura survivors of differing generations, but also of the very Israeli commanders that led the raid on the village in 1948.

What have we done so far?

Hala started her journey of discovery about 10 years ago, successfully documenting a historical narrative from witness testimony that very soon afterwards disappeared with the passing of many of the characters in her film through a combination of natural causes as well as the war in Syria.

in 2016, we went to refugee camps in Lebanon and Greece to talk to the next generation of Tantura residents, many of whom were living in Palestinian refugee camps in Syria until the start of the war there. Their homes destroyed and their lives threatened, they found themselves following in the footsteps of their parents and grandparents, once again living in tents, temporary housing and cemeteries.

We've combined those stories into a compelling 70-minute long feature documentary that tells the story of the people of Tantura's plight, as a microcosm of the plight of the Palestinian people at large.

What's Left (a.k.a why do we need your generous donation)?

We are in the home stretch of this documentary. There are essential parts of the historic narrative that we need to recreate. These will significantly accentuate the personal and emotional witness testimonies. Your generous donation will also help us put the finishing touches and most importantly: Get the film out there for everyone to see!

Goal 1: Recreate missing visual historic imagery. $70,000

Goal 2: Compose a powerful music score. $10,000

Goal 3: Put the icing on the cake... prepare the film for distribution, and get it in the hands of EVERYONE we can. $45,000

And your donation is Tax Deductible!!! Tantura is a fiscally sponsored project of the International Documentary Association (IDA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions on behalf of Tantura are payable to IDA and are tax deductible less the value of any goods or services received, as allowed by law. The value of goods and services being offered is noted under each donation level. If you would like to deduct the entire donation you have the option to simply decline the reward at check out.

Why is this film important now?

We plan to launch this film during the 2018 film festival season. That marks 70 years since the Nakba, the catastrophe that led to the birth of the Palestinian Refugee. It also comes at the height of the re-birth of the Palestinian Refugee issue in the form of the destruction of Palestinian refugee camps throughout Syria. With your help we will get this story out and the voices of these people heard.

About the Filmmakers

Director: Hala Gabriel was born as a Palestinian refugee in Syria to parents that were forced from their homes in Palestine. When she was 6 years old, Hala's parents managed to immigrate to the United States where she has spent her adult life as a proponent for the Right of Return.

Artistically, Hala attended the California Institute of Arts, majoring in Film and Television Production and in 2004, won the Silver Award at the International Houston Film Festival for her critically acclaimed short documentary entitled The Love Project.​
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Hala works as a freelance producer, production supervisor and production accountant for the major studios in Los Angeles.
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Producer: Talal Jabari was until recently a lifelong resident of East Jerusalem. A nonfiction filmmaker, Talal has directed a number of feature documentaries including Enemies in the South (2015), Holy Blood (2013)-a 4-part documentary series, Aggressive Decrees (2012) and the award-winning documentary Full Signal (2010).

Talal has also produced and co-produced a number of feature documentaries including award-winning Speed Sisters (2015), Sony Presents: Europe's Music Legends (2009)-a series of 13-feature documentary films,
Israel from Within (2008)-a 12-part feature documentary series, and Shape of the Future (2005)-a 5-part documentary series.
As a videographer, Talal has filmed footage for over 40 documentaries. Talal Jabari is currently based in New York.

Risks and challenges

Although we have completed the most difficult and costly portion of the film, the biggest challenge we face now is not finishing our film in time for film festival submissions for 2018. Of course we will continue to strive forward and do everything we can to make certain that we do complete this film on time.

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Pledge $500 or more
About $500

Major Funder

THANK YOU! As a Major Funder, your generous donation will help pay for recreating historic scenes in the film. To show our gratitude, you will get 2 tickets to a screening of your choice after the premiere as well as everything listed below. (amount over $80 is tax-deductible)

Kickstarter is not a store.

Pledge $1,000 or more
About $1,000

Top Funder

THANK YOU! As a Top Funder, your generous donation will help pay for recreating historic scenes in the film. As our thanks to you, you will receive 2 tickets to the film's Premiere as well as another screening of your choice as well as the other goodies listed below. (amount over $80 is tax-deductible)

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Pledge $2,500 or more
About $2,500

Associate Producer

THANK YOU! As an Associate Producer, you will become an insider, and receive PRIVATE Associate Producer mailing list project updates, your name will be featured in the credit roll as an Associate Producer, you will receive 2 tickets to any screening [including the Premiere], and the goodies below. (amount over $100 is tax-deductible)

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Pledge $5,000 or more
About $5,000

Co-Producer

THANK YOU! As Co-Producer you become an honorary part of the team. Your name will feature prominently in the credit roll as Co-Producer. You will have 4 tickets to every screening [including the Premiere, where you will receive a personal shout-out]. You will get regular personal updates and sneak peeks, as well as the goodies below. (amount over $250 is tax-deductible)

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Pledge $10,000
About $10,000

Co-Executive Producer

THANK YOU! And Welcome to the Team. As Co-Exec. Producer we will run cuts past you to get your input. Add the team to your Speed Dial and be a true insider...or not, Your Choice! But you will have your selection of goodies and tickets to screenings. (amount over $500 is tax-deductible)